Who wants a date?
June 11th, 2008 by Dubai Guy
Well friends, hope all of you are doing great. DG is back from his hibernation for a brief period of time before going on a short holiday. Jim & Em’s expeditions & adventures were perhaps the motivation 
Alright folks, let get back to business. So who wants a date? 
For people living outside arabia, date is a fruit which over the centuries sustained the life in our part of the world. Along with the camel, this fruit helped people of this area survive in harsh conditions.
Long time ago, on my blog I had posted a small documenary about the date fruit. It is broken into 6 parts, each about 2 mins long. Have a look at them if you want to know how this humble fruit helped the people 
Welcome back DG, the latter part of your description sounds like what happens when you have too many dates.
Lol @ “the latter part of your description sounds like what happens when you have too many dates”
What do you mean?
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It might be me, but the links do not work. Anyway, I really appreciate all the nutrient and other health benefits of the date. However, the thought of them makes me nauseated. Eating them or smelling them is worse.
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Have you eaten dates? By the way, there are tens of varieties, if not hundreds & most of them I myself don’t like. And then there are varieties you want to keep on eating.
Dubai Guy’s last blog post..Quote Unquote
Yes, I’ve tried several varieties…Yuck!!! Don’t make me try another, please!!
ClinicallyClueless’s last blog post..Poem: “Running” ~ December 18, 1991
I fell asleep nude in the sun a couple of years back.
That picture is bringing back horrific memories.
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Elaborate please !!
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ha ha, so the sun was more on your left side then eh? What was the line the next day ‘They’re mine and I’ll rub the after sun on as fast as I want OK’
I was wondering what happened to you DG
Must say I was a bit worried.. Glad you are back..
I love Dates, Prunes and all types of dried fruits.. yum..
Date Loaf anyone..
Nothing much happened
II am not an active blogger. Blame it on my work & family committments, too many distractions or simply because I am just lazy. Maybe I need some lessons in time management
But seriously, thanks for your concern.
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Hi Dubai Guy,
Glad you hadn’t run off. We all take breaks now and again. Unfortunately the links don’t work and I don’t know your blog, however as I have relocated from China to Thailand I can now read blogs so please let me know what its address is.
As far as Dates go I really like them, either just as a snack or put in a fruit curry. I eat them about once a week at the moment. Putting them into food adds great flavour and certainly helps with the flow of the food, no need to worry about going to the extremes Jim and Em go to!!
Gareth’s last blog post..Who wants a date?
Hi Gareth, you can read more about the nutritional information by checking this post: http://dubaiguy78.blogspot.com/2006/09/who-wants-date.html
By the way, the dates you eat, they come from which country? The best ones are from Saudi Arabia.
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Gareth link is on Aussie…. under friends dubai guys diary… I have everyones there…
Well friends, when I try to edit the post, I find the links there. I have no idea why they are not appearing here !!
Dubai Guy’s last blog post..Quote Unquote
Oops, sorry friends. I had pasted the address in the title bar instead of the URL. Fixed it now
Dubai Guy’s last blog post..Quote Unquote
Yup - all working fine now!
We’ll take a look at the 6 articles…..
Welcome back DG and we’d love to know more about the holiday you have planned.
We LOVE dates -great source of fibre, bulks out smoothies nicely and we’re not sure if they’re diabetic friendly or not which seems to becoming more of an issue in the UAE - any ideas of the sugar effects of the fruit?
We’ll check out the links now and see what we can do - it’s a date
I am not sure about its harmful effects on diabetics. During the hard times, dates was a staple food but then diabetes was also unknown. perhaps it is because people led a more active life unlike us the lazy generation.
During Ramadan, everyone eats dates while breaking the fast, whether diabetic or not, have not observed any side effects, my sister is a diabetic too.
Dates harvest season is coming soon, perhaps you should visit the dates festival in sharjah to try different varieties of fresh dates
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Well, fancy me turning up again ….. great post Dubai Guy - did you know that last month I was IN Dubai for the launch of my own date cookbook, co-authored by Sue Valentine, who has a PhD in food science and published by Zodiac Publishing? When we wrote the book we experimented to see where dates could be added to a recipe and discovered they do wonderful things to most dishes - sweet and savoury.
Then, last night, I had a party to celebrate my 25th book - Dates - and the caterer made all the recipes from the book and she was stunned to find how cool dates were - yes even in pumpkin soup! the veggies there were thrilled with the date and nut cutlets, the chutney and the date, cheese and cashew terrine too. I love dates, but here in Holland we don’t get the fab fresh ones I used to love in Dubai, when they are all squishy and crunchy at the same time and still on the branch. If anyone here would like to read my book and post a review on Amazon in exchange I’d be thrilled to send them a PDf right away.
As I said, great post, DG, and a man after my own heart - they say the way to a man’s heart is through is stomach!
Now, Jem reckons I should start a forum on dates - a place to share recipes maybe?
Great idea Expat - fill your boots at forums and we had a great time at your book launch on May 1st - seems like e-ons away now!
How about posting a link or two here and at forums so folks can order your dates book online if they wish? Except flower regular Clinically clueless who may take some converting - see above
luv em in cakes and pastries - always remind me of xmas as a kid - those long forks, and the bowls of nuts everywhere…. now where did i put that Slade cd????
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I love dates..
This is what I eat during the ‘fasting month’ every year..I eat this when I break the fast in dawn and dusk..
Very delicious indeed and sweet..
Only get to eat this one month out of the 12 months in a year..
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When I lived in Dubai and Oman it was really easy to get hold of yummy dates, in Norway (albeit 1996-7) they were almost impossible to find. Thankfully, the world has caught on and you can buy them, stoned (not ‘that’ stoned!) in blocks and in huge bags at health food stores. I am now in Holland and find that the Islamic shops are always the best and cheapest place to go, because as Nur Sarah says, above, they are a cultural staple. Last week, ready to cook for another of my launch parties I got 3kg for 3 euros! and they are soft and sweet too.
Take a look at my book, even if only to salivate at the cover, at Amazon.